Press Release

In our 27th year, we want to bring a variety of different flavors to Istanbul audiences once again this year! Under the artistic direction of Cengiz Özek, the International Istanbul Puppet Festival will present 8 different productions from 6 different countries between October 29 – November 3. Across Istanbul, these 8 productions will meet Istanbulites with 27 performances on many different stages.

The productions participating from abroad in this year’s festival are as follows:
From Austria, the multi-award-winning artist Karin Schäfer, who has received dozens of awards at many international festivals, will participate in our festival with two different performances this year: “Old Crazy Me,” in which she questions being an aging artist through body puppetry, and “Performative Conference,” where she conveys the subtleties of the art of puppetry using various puppet techniques. From Spain, artist Antoni Zafra Ortiz will present his creative and entertaining show “Tiny World,” in which he demonstrates successful puppet manipulation in the string-puppet technique. From Italy, Gianluca Di Matteo, who has made a name for himself with his successes at many festivals, will deliver a charming show that will have the audience in stitches with Pulchinella, the traditional Italian puppet. From Mexico, the Compania Banyan de Marionetas theatre company is coming with two different plays; with “Karagöz and Şahmeran,” created as a result of Karagöz training received from Cengiz Özek, they tell the story of Turkey’s cultural figures Şahmeran and Karagöz by using the techniques and aesthetics of Karagöz; and with the “Kathputli” performance, they bring to us, through string puppets, the entertaining world of the Rajasthan region of India, sharing joy on a metaphysical level with the audience.

From Turkey, the festival’s founder and artistic director Cengiz Özek lights up the festival stage with “The Magic Tree,” a Karagöz performance that has garnered awards at many festivals around the world and has been added to the Karagöz literature as a new Karagöz play. With the experience he has gained over 47 years, he offers the opportunity to observe masterful Karagöz manipulation. While making us experience, with a sense of wonder, the events that unfold around a magical tree, Özek succeeds in placing the magic from the screen onto the darkest corners of our hearts.

Among the newly gained cultural venues, Turşucuzade Konağı Sıbyan Mektebi has become one of the festival’s main venues this year. Throughout October 29 – November 3, a puppet show will take place every day in the garden of Turşucuzade Konağı Sıbyan Mektebi, and Karagöz performances will be held inside the Mektebi. In addition, at Turşucuzade Konağı Sıbyan Mektebi, we will host a “Shadow Puppet Workshop” for children aged 8 and above, and a “Karagöz Making Workshop” for adults where we will discuss the art of Karagöz and experience how to make a Karagöz figure authentically.

This year’s festival venues are: Turşucuzade Konağı Sıbyan Mektebi, Üsküdar Municipality Altunizade Culture and Arts Center, Pera Museum, Mall of İstanbul, Koç University, and ENKA Foundation.

Reservations for the events at Turşucuzade Konağı Sıbyan Mektebi can be made through the “İstanbul Senin” application. Our other free events do not require reservations.
You can find details at www.istanbulkuklafestivali.com, and you can also contact us via the e-mail address info1@kuklaistanbul.com.